The Acting Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, has condoled with Mrs Mariya Lagbaja and other family members over the demise of the late Lieutenant General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, Nigeria’s 23rd Chief of Army Staff, who passed on Tuesday, November 5th, 2024, after a brief illness.
Gen Oluyede paid the condolence visit to Mrs Lagbaja on Wednesday, 6 November 2024, at the Flagstaff House, Niger Barracks Abuja, accompanied by Principal Staff Officers of the Army Headquarters, Corps Commanders, and General Officers Commanding the Nigerian Army.
General Oluyede said, “The nation owes Lagbaja a lot”, describing him as a hero who will be sorely missed.
In a statement by Army Spokesman Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, General Oluyede paid tribute to the late COAS and extolled his gallantry, dedication, and legacies throughout his service years in the Nigerian Army and the Armed Forces of Nigeria in general.
According to the statement, the Acting COAS, in a condolence message penned in the register opened in honour of the late COAS, said, “It is with a massive sense of loss, albeit responsibility, that I, on behalf of the officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army commiserate with Mrs Mariya Lagbaja, the children and the entire Lagbaja clan over the passing of our dogged, gallant and extremely dedicated leader Lieutenant General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja (Nigerian Army Medal) the Chief of Army Staff of the Nigerian Army. Lt Gen Lagbaja, without doubt, gave his all to the service of our dear nation.
“This was evident in his dedication to duty and the legacies he has left behind.
We only take solace in the fact that we cannot in any way query the Almighty. We surely owe him a whole lot. Rest in peace, our leader and hero. You will surely be missed.”
Late Lieutenant General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja was on 19 June 2023 appointed Chief of Army Staff by the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria Bola Ahmed Tinubu and fully assumed command of the Nigerian Army as the 23rd COAS on 23 June 2023.
Lagbaja, a seasoned Infantry officer, was commissioned in 1992 as a member of the 39 Regular Combatant Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna.
Lagbaja distinguished himself as a Special Forces Commander and a military leader per excellence, holding several appointments during his exemplary military career.
Late General Lagbaja served as General Officer Commanding 82 and 1 Divisions of the Nigerian Army in Enugu and Kaduna, respectively.
He also commanded 9 Brigade Ikeja, 2 Brigade Uyo, and 72 Special Forces Battalion on two separate tours of duty.
Before assuming command of the Nigerian Army as the 23rd Chief of Army Staff, he was the Chief of Operations (Army), coordinating all the army’s operational activities.
As the then Chief of Army Staff, he worked assiduously to defeat terrorism, banditry, and other security challenges experienced across the nation.
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